A damper includes a pressure-sensitive damping control circuit that selectively permits fluid flow from a first chamber to a second chamber. A piston varies a volume of the first chamber. A blow-off piston is movable between a closed position, wherein fluid flow through the control circuit is substantially prevented, and an open position, wherein fluid flow through the control circuit is permitted. The damper also includes a first source of pressure. A fluid pressure created by compression of the damper applies an opening force to the blow-off piston moving the blow-off piston in a direction toward the open position against a resistance force provided by the first source of pressure. The resistance force exceeds the opening force until the pressure created by forces tending to insert the piston rod into the first fluid chamber exceeds the pressure in the first source of pressure by a predetermined amount.

1. Control Device

2. A control device for controlling a hydraulic consumer (2), such as a working cylinder, consisting of at least one control valve (18) having a control spool (20), which is guided in a valve housing (22) in a longitudinally movable manner and which can be actuated by means of an electric motor (24) and which can be controlled by means of control electronics (MC), which receive input signals from a sensor device (58, 60, 62), which detects at least one operating state of the consumer (2).

A suspension device for a wheeled vehicle with a plurality of air springs is described. Two main air chambers of two air springs of a respective vehicle axle are connected together via a transverse air chamber which forms an intermediate volume. A compressor arranged between the two transverse air chambers is connected to the first transverse air chamber via a first connecting line in which a first switchable valve is arranged, and to the second transverse air chamber via a second connecting line in which a second switchable valve is arranged, so that direct filling/direct evacuation of the intermediate volumes of the two transverse air chambers is possible.

A liquid gas supporting shock absorber. An oil path of the liquid gas supporting shock absorber, mainly composed of a liquid gas accumulator (4) and a single-acting hydraulic cylinder (7), is divided into a liquid inlet oil path (9) flowing into the single-acting hydraulic cylinder (7) and a liquid outlet oil path (6) flowing out of the single-acting hydraulic cylinder (7). A supporting force value of the liquid gas supporting shock absorber on an item supported thereby is measured using a force measuring element. A control component (1) compares the supporting force value to a set force value or a gravity value of the item supported by the supporting shock absorber, and the damping of the liquid inlet oil path (9) and the liquid outlet oil path (6) of the liquid gas supporting shock absorber is controlled by means of a mechanical, hydraulic or electronic control mode according to the result of the comparison, so as to adjust the supporting force value of the supporting shock absorber, so that the supporting force value of the supporting shock absorber is equal to or close to the set force value or the gravity value of the item supported by the supporting shock absorber.

Disclosed herein are hydraulic actuators and methods for the operation of actuators having variable relative pressure ratios. Further disclosed are methods for designing and/or operating a hydraulic actuator such that the actuator exhibits a variable relative pressure ratio. In certain embodiments, the relative pressure ratio of the hydraulic actuator may be dependent on one or more characteristics (such as, for example, frequency or rate of change) of an oscillating input to the hydraulic actuator.

A method for operating a pressure control system having a multistage compressor includes providing, by the multistage compressor, a pressure medium that has been compressed multiple times in order to fill a pressure medium reservoir or pressure medium chambers of the pressure control system. The providing the pressure medium involves providing, by a first compression stage, a precompressed pressure medium and additionally compressing, via a second compression stage, the precompressed pressure medium, and/or introducing an already compressed charge pressure medium into an intermediate volume between the first compression stage and the second compression stage of the multistage compressor and further compressing, by the second compression stage, the charge pressure medium. The charge pressure medium simultaneously passes, via a control line, to a control input of a shut-off valve that interacts with the first compression stage, such that a charge pressure of the charge pressure medium predefines a control pressure.

Presented herein, inter alia, are suspension system components having tuned accumulator sizing and/or stiffness. Such suspension system components are envisioned for use in a distributed active suspension system of a vehicle. In particular, through appropriate sizing of accumulators of a suspension system component of a vehicle, ride quality of the vehicle may be improved and so called “rough ride” issues may be precluded. Alternatively or additionally, various valves or alternative compliant mechanisms may be included in the suspension system component, so that desirable performance may be obtained for a range of operating conditions.

An air suspension system which includes a Dynamic Load Transfer (DLT) function. DLT is a process of transferring vehicle load, or varying normal loads applied to each wheel of the vehicle, using switchable volume or variable volume air spring assemblies. Switchable or variable volume air spring assemblies have the ability to change air spring volumes, which results in changes in air spring rates, which result in changes in normal loads applied to each wheel. Changes in wheel normal loads change wheel traction (slip) and vehicle dynamics (pitch, roll, yaw displacement, rate and acceleration). Each air spring assembly may have multiple volume air chambers that are switched “on” and “off,” a variable volume air chamber, or the air spring assembly may be coupled with other air springs, or air chambers, that are switched or varied.

A hydraulic suspension system for a motor vehicle having at least a pair of road engaging wheels. The suspension system includes, a hydraulic cylinder coupled with the each of the pair of road engaging wheels, the hydraulic cylinder defining a cap end volume and a rod end volume separated by a piston. A hydraulic supply circuit for the hydraulic cylinder includes, a high pressure hydraulic source, a low pressure hydraulic drain, a pair of hydraulic sub circuits each coupled to one of the hydraulic cylinder cap and rod end volumes. Each hydraulic sub circuit includes, a proportional supply flow valve coupled with the high pressure hydraulic source and one of the cylinder volumes, a return flow control proportional valve coupled with the low pressure hydraulic drain and the one cylinder volume, and an accumulator coupled to the associated hydraulic cylinder volume through an accumulator fill control proportional valve.

A suspension apparatus includes a valve device provided between an upper chamber and a lower chamber of each of hydraulic cylinders and configured to establish and block communication between these chambers. The valve device includes a first passage and an extension-side damping force generation mechanism. Hydraulic oil flows out from the upper chamber into the first passage due to a movement of a piston in a cylinder of each of the hydraulic cylinders. The extension-side damping force generation mechanism includes a damping valve and a back-pressure chamber. The damping valve is disposed in the first passage, and generates a damping force by restricting a flow of the hydraulic oil generated due to a sliding movement of the piston. The back-pressure chamber applies an inner pressure thereof to this damping valve in a valve-closing direction.